Margaret Dardenella Grockau

Margaret Dardenella Grockau, age 96 of Fraser, died peacefully at home on Saturday, July 14, 2018 in the company of her loved ones. She was born June 15, 1922 in Waukee, Iowa, daughter of the late Robert Leo and the late Lillian Velva (nee: Bickford) Jameson.A sweet little girl from Iowa, who eventually found herself in the Motor City of Detroit, would grow in stature and become a beautiful, young woman who decided to enter the workforce at a day and time that was changing the entire employment landscape. Ultimately landing a position as a billing clerk at Hutzel Hospital in Detroit, that was merely Margaret's day job,…as she would also embrace one of the most profound jobs of all, that of Homemaker and Mom. With the help of her beloved Arthur, these lovebirds poured the best parts of themselves into raising two beautiful children and building upon the comforts of home and hearth. They also went on to share a long and loving relationship until Arthur's passing in 2001. Eventually, with the kids gone and her job at an end, Margaret made the very wise decision of exchanging the concrete jungle for the peacefulness and serenity of Kalkaska, Michigan. Choosing that as her new home, Margaret now had countless hours to enjoy some of her favorite things to do,…like crocheting. She possessed incredible skills with those infamous needles and managed to create some wonderful pieces through her unique handiwork. Quiet moments also afforded Margaret the pleasure of taking in a bit of television and watching some of her favorite movies,…you know, the oldies but goodies. The TV was also a medium for enjoying some of her listening delights, and there was nobody more delightful than the iconic, Barry Manilow. A crooner acclaimed by all, Barry's melodic voice and soothing sounds never ceased to fill her heart and soul with bliss. And if being enthralled by watching him on television wasn't enough, just imagine the joy and elation she experienced the first time she watched him enter the stage…LIVE! That's right,…a dream finally came to fruition the night that she and her daughter-in-law, Dolores attended Barry's concert together and created memories to last a lifetime.Margaret's television hunger also included feeding her sporting tastes, primarily that of her favorite Boys of Summer, the Detroit Tigers. There's been no greater fan than Margaret of those athletes behind their iconic Old English "D"…and no greater words than that of "Play Ball." Yet baseball wasn't the only sporting genre that sparked Margaret's interest. She was also quite the angler and couldn't get enough of hangin' out in the front of the boat with her fishing line in the water,…just waiting for that "Big One." She could fish for hours, and often did. We all know that fishing is a sport that makes you get busy all of a sudden, but it's those in-between times of solitude and relaxation that almost feel God-appointed,…and Margaret ate that feeling up! And perhaps more unique to Margaret was her penchant for hopping in the car and going for an evening drive…deer-spotting. Though her search for Bambi, at times, turned into the discovery of Brutus, the 12 point Buck, her fascination for these furry friends never seemed to wane.Like most of us, Margaret found great pleasure in eating out and leaving all the prep and clean-up to someone else. (That always makes the food taste better, right?) As for her prime place to dine, little could match the eating extravaganza she partook of at the Ponderosa Restaurant in Traverse City. A Buffet Bonanza fit for those Cartwright Boys, Margaret surely knew her way around the food tables and always left the restaurant perfectly satiated. Not too little, not too much,…but just right.Another of Margaret's favorite treats, but this one not of the edible variety, came with every trip enjoyed to the area's hometown gambling mecca, the Turtle Creek Casino. Though it wasn't a steady diet by any means,…still, it was a unique escape from the norm and provided Margaret the chance of giving Ol' Lady Luck a run for her money,…with a lot of high hopes for something magnanimous. Being one who enjoyed travel, other places she enjoyed visiting included her trip down to Kentucky, the scenic drives to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, cherry picking in the orchards up north,...and" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">...and" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">...and, of course, the fun enjoyed with her fellow seniors on their various bus trips. But the granddaddy of them all was definitely her trip to Branson, Missouri with Arthur on the occasion of their wedding anniversary,...and just imagine the surprise and elation she felt when the penultimate entertainer, Wayne Newton, acknowledged their celebration in person. It was an anniversary for the ages! Then there was the fun she lived for through gaming with friends and loved ones,…like the die-throwing delights of Bunco up at Blue Lake, or Pantry Bingo with her Kalkaska friends, and later through the games of Bingo she shared with fellow resident's at the Fraser Senior Center in Fraser, Michigan. Time, and the effects of aging, would ultimately draw her back to the city, but she always had her Bingo! Margaret was a very active person who enjoyed a host of memberships that afforded her the opportunity of giving to others and being engaged socially. She was a proud member of the Blue Lake Quilters & extension, the Red Hat Society, the Bunco Club, and her association with the Kalkaska Senior Pantry Bingo Players. And for a much as she took pleasure in those memberships, she was equally giving and involved through her charitable volunteering. Quite memorable was the time she joined forces at the Pontiac Silverdome to raise funds for the new addition at Hutzel Hospital,...and the many other occasions she joined forces with her daughter, Dianne to cook up their famous pasties for a little fund raising magic. Lots of great memories from a very compassionate lady. Then there were the times she so enjoyed spending with her sisters-in-law, Jannette and Marge, as well as her daughter Dianne and her many dear friends. But of all the special ones in life that filled her heart and soul, Margaret's grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life and she felt the love from each and every one of them. Margaret was a strong woman of God who devoted herself to her faith. She took her vows of faith at the Kalkaska United Methodist Church in Kalkaska, Michigan, and remained faithful to the church throughout the rest of her life. Yet of all that brought her joy over the years, little could hold a candle to each precious moment she spent sitting on the porch and soaking up the beauty of nature and being drenched in the goodness of God. Whether it was simply taking in the amazing touch of His hand on the flowers that surrounded her,…or witnessing the incredible display of a hummingbird in flight and hovering about,…or perhaps the miracle of friendship she so enjoyed through the special neighbors "in the hood,"…Margaret's porch experiences were some of the most simple, yet profound of all the pleasures she knew in life. And you can almost bet that she's sittin' on the porch up there in Heaven,…smelling the flowers, watchin' the hummingbirds, and talkin' up a storm with all her new neighbors,…and waiting to be reunited, one day, with her loved ones for eternity. She will be missed immensely and loved eternally. Margaret was the beloved wife of the late Arthur Grockau who preceded her in death in 2001. She was the dear mother of Dianne (Tom) Gruse and Bruce (Dolores) Grockau. Loving grandmother of Dawn (Bill) Evennou, Melissa, Shane, Chris (Abby), David, Alan (Gina), Machelle (Lonnie) Farr, and great-grandmother of Jillian, Delaney, Brett, Blake, Robert, Landon, Mallory, Miranda, Alexis, Alyson, and Alivia. Sister of Sandra Varto, the late Kenneth, the late Donald, and the late Iris Gottwik. Also surviving to cherish her memory are nieces and nephews; John, Patricia, Jane, Mary Beth, Lora, David, Robert, Jill, Cynthia, Debra, Leslie, Brian, Kurt, Sandra, Karl, Keith, Kent, Trudy, and Joy.Her Graveside Committal Service & Burial will take place at 1:00 pm on Friday, July 27th at Cold Springs Cemetery in Cold Springs Township, Michigan - just outside of Kalkaska, Michigan. Memorial donations, in Margaret's name, may be directed to Great Lakes Caring Home Health & Hospice, 19176 Hall Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038,...C.E.T.A. (Cold Springs-Excelsior Taxpayers Association) 6615 County Road 612 NE, Kalkaska, MI 49646,...or to the Kalkaska Senior Center, 303 S. Coral Street, Kalkaska, MI 49646.Arrangements have been entrusted to the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 1/2 Mile Rd) in Warren. Please share memories of Margaret at her guest book above.